


once, you breathe (oblivion, it follows)

by mintgreyashes



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Hurt Peter Parker, Infinity Gauntlet, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Snaps, Peter uses the gauntlet, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24806791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintgreyashes/pseuds/mintgreyashes
Summary: From across the battlefield, his eyes meet Tony's. And Peter realises, shaking, that he cannot let Tony die.He breathes.Ash fills his lungs, suffocating him as he raises an arm, a single gauntlet forming. The world watches with bated breaths, as for a moment, Peter Parker wields the power of the gods.Then, he curls his fingers in.And snaps.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 42
Kudos: 509
Collections: Irondad and Spiderson 🕷





	once, you breathe (oblivion, it follows)

**Author's Note:**

> don't we all just love some peter whump? :)

  
From across the battlefield, wrecked with sounds of weapons and chaos, his eyes meet Tony's.

Peter sees the resignation in those eyes, a weariness that weighs him down as a cold determination flits across his gaze. His face twists, morphing into something entirely raw and powerful.

Then, his arm raises. A gauntlet of nanotech forms, the stones beginning to embed into cold metal.

And Peter remembers Dr Strange's words, sees the way he lifts a single, trembling finger; a symbol of the end.

 _(i_ _t was the only way._ )

Slowly, Tony stands, shaky yet no less regal, as the battles around him send showers of debris toward his looming figure, forming a halo of cinder and dust around him.

He looked almost like a fallen angel; eyes hard and fixed forward, armour crumbling and ready for death.

With a gauntlet on his arm, and a fury in his eyes, Tony Stark seemed untouchable.

And yet, amidst the destruction and chaos around him, Peter feels only numbness; a liberating sense of calm that washes over him like a cool spring breeze.

He swallows, shaking, heart dropping at the realisation he makes.

_I cannot let Tony die._

"Karen." so he says instead. "You... You said that Mr Stark's nanotech suit was designed so that it could transfer parts of the armour to me? In case of emergencies?"

_"Of course, Peter."_

And Peter breathes, the last of his hesitation escaping through his lungs with another breath in, and then another breath out.

In the end, it seemed that even the odds were in his favour.

"Transfer the gauntlet over to me, then."

"Peter, are you sure? To snap would mean-"

"Please."

_(in 14, 000, 605 realities, in how many of them do we win?)_

He closes his eyes, tries to be brave, tries to pretend that he isn't _terrified_.

Inhale, exhale.

He lets the terror escape, too.

_(one.)_

And Karen complies.

It happens in a split second.

The gauntlet forms, stones shimmering with absolute power, dimming the rest of the world in comparison.

Peter ignores the way he hears Tony's breathing hitch, ignores the way the glimmer of the stones only bring him dread.

He breathes, and ash fills his lungs as he raises a single arm. It suffocates, its vice-grip tightening as he curls his fingers in.

And then, swiftly—

_(the world still needs ironman.)_

He snaps.

_(and i will make a reality that you never foresaw.)_

An electric current surges through him in an instant, a supernova of emotion and pain coursing from the nanotech on his arm to the rest of his body.

It burns like liquid fire, acid in his veins as he _screams,_ vision turning stark white.

Everything _stops._

The world stills and silences, watching his illuminated form, power in his words as he wishes for the battle to _stop._

For a moment, he wields the power of the gods.

And in the next, dust and ash begin to scatter.

Warriors crumble, one by one, disappearing at the price of his mortal wish.

They scream, crying out with hatred as stilted words spill forth between ragged breaths, haunting.

_"What have you done?!"_

_"You fool! You ruined everything!"_

_"Thanos has fallen, but you shall too."_

_"How dare you?! ...How could you?"_

One by one, dust escapes from their fingertips, their fates not unlike what had once been of his own demise.

Eventually, the last of them fade.

And the price to pay is far too great.

His body crumples, hitting the ground.

Peter breathes - ash fills his lungs, suffocating as the nanotech dissolves, revealing a mangled arm with fire lines trailing along his veins for everyone to see.

The world only watches on, with bated breaths and expressions so, so lost as he claws his way out of unconsciouness, clinging onto that flickering flame of hope.

_They'd won._

And then-

_"NO!"_

An anguished cry pierces through the still air.

Peter's eyes meet Tony's once more, wide and aghast as he stumbles towards his ruined body and this time Peter can't help but _smile._

It's a bruised one, tiny and fragile and weak, but no less relieved.

"We won, Mr Stark." His words come out slurred, yet sincere nonetheless. His eyes shine, hazy with pain, but it was alright, because Tony was _safe, safe, safe-_

And Tony swallows, grief filling his eyes with tears as he replies with soothing words.

"Yeah. Yeah, kid. You did a good job, Pete. A great one. Just- Just stay awake, alright? You're our hero, Peter. You can't fall asleep now."

" 'm kay." He agrees, and he _tries_ _._ He really, really does, but still, the edges of his vision begin to dim, and slowly, Tony's mindless rambling becomes soft and muffled.

Peter only manages to hum in response, the world around him remaining muted as the static in his ears crescendos into something vaguely painful, so much so that he barely has any idea as to what he's even agreeing to.

But Tony only gathers him into his arms, burying his chin in Peter's hair as he continues to ramble on about something he can't quite catch. The words tether him to reality, soothing the noises in his head.

It's a nice feeling.

"Are we.. finally there?" He mumbles, blinking slowly as the fog in his vision clears slightly and he sees his mentor laugh, somewhat hysterically and fond and so, so sad - all at once.

"Yeah, kid. We are." comes the choked response, and Peter hums in agreement again.

He breathes.

 _(ash and dust flood his lungs, his body burns, feeling like ice and fire as he tries and tries to just_ scream- _)_

" 'm... tired, Tony."

His mentor's breathing hitches.

"No, _no,_ Peter. Don't fall asleep, okay? Stay awake. You're alright."

_("you're alright." and he holds onto those words, even as his body crumbles and every part of him is screaming in pain-)_

And though Tony stares at him with such sad, sad eyes, his eyelids get heavier and heavier.

He hates the thought of disappointing Tony, but his body refuses; he holds no control, unable to even _listen_ to those desperate, pleading words _._

Slowly, his breathing evens. The world remains silent, colours blending into a muted grey as the remnants of pain his body had felt from the snap gradually begins to numb.

_I'm going to die._

It's the first time he realises this, and it is met with an odd sense of detachment.

He's going to _die_ lying on this dusty battlefield, five years ahead of his time, aching and cold _and-_

And then, he thinks of familiar school hallways, of cathartic decathlon practices, of Ned and MJ and May and _Tony._

The panic finally, finally sets in.

Terror slams into him, and he's struck by so many wants that he will never get to have.

Peter _breathes,_ thoughts stuttering and spiralling into that of desperation, before he's taking heaving breaths, and clinging onto his mentor's form.

 _"Please-"_ The words come out as a sob, and he feels the arms around him tighten. Tony runs familiar fingers through his hair, soothing even as his own hands tremble, trying desperately to take away a pain that is not his own.

_I don't want to die._

There is a longing in that thought, and he thinks of comforting warm hugs that had felt like sunshine, of the playful banter in the labs, of the easy afternoons playing with Legos and answering questions by a buzzer-

But then, Tony's expression crumples even further. He pleads. "I know, kid. _God,_ I know. Please, please just stay awake."

And even though Peter still has so much to say _(i want to live-),_ so many truths threatening to spill out _(i'm so scared of dying)_ , he doesn't say a word.

Not a single word.

Because beyond the fear, the frightening numbness and the wave of exhaustion that suddenly crashes over him, Peter Parker is _kind._

And so, he manages a final smile, clasping trembling fingers around Tony's own.

_(i don't regret it.)_

Peter _breathes,_ and pretends that he isn't so, so _terrified,_ and _knows_ that he is so, so, so, _so loved-_

"I love you all... so much..."

He whispers, even as his eyes begin to slip shut once more, and as he breathes, the ash in his lungs has almost completely left him drowning.

Peter only leans into that familiar, soothing presence, and Tony-

Tony only smiles, soft and kind and sad, resignation in his eyes as that smile eventually wavers and drops all the same.

There is a beat of silence, before he finally leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. Peter closes his eyes, and relishes in the comfort.

"...Yeah, kid. I know. You... You can sleep now, bud. I'll see you on the other side."

_(i love you too.)_

And Peter believes him.

He welcomes the darkness with open arms.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i've been wanting to write this 'peter is the one that snaps' trope for a while now, haha ^^ tell me how you guys think it turned out :)


End file.
